The dependence of particle production on the size of the colliding nuclei is
analysed in terms of the thermal model using the canonical ensemble. The
concept of strangeness correlation in clusters of sub-volume $V_c$ is used to
account for the suppression of strangeness. A systematic analysis is presented
of the predictions of the thermal model for particle production in collisions
of small nuclei. The pattern of the maxima of strange-particles-to-pion ratios
as a function of beam energy is quite special, as they do not occur at the same
beam energy and are sensitive to system size. In particular, the
$\Lambda/\pi^+$ ratio shows a clear maximum even for small systems while the
maximum in the K$^+/\pi^+$ ratio is less pronounced

An analysis is presented of the expectations of the thermal model for
particle production in collisions of small nuclei. The maxima observed in
particle ratios of strange particles to pions as a function of beam energy in
heavy ion collisions, are reduced when considering smaller nuclei. Of
particular interest is the $\Lambda/\pi^+$ ratio shows the strongest maximum
which survives even in collisions of small nuclei.

The ALICE Collaboration has measured inclusive J/psi production in pp
collisions at a center of mass energy sqrt(s)=2.76 TeV at the LHC. The results
presented in this Letter refer to the rapidity ranges |y|<0.9 and 2.5<y<4 and
have been obtained by measuring the electron and muon pair decay channels,
respectively. The integrated luminosities for the two channels are L^e_int=1.1
nb^-1 and L^mu_int=19.9 nb^-1, and the corresponding signal statistics are
N_J/psi^e+e-=59 +/- 14 and N_J/psi^mu+mu-=1364 +/- 53. We present
dsigma_J/psi/dy for the two rapidity regions under study and, for the forward-y
range, d^2sigma_J/psi/dydp_t in the transverse momentum domain 0<p_t<8 GeV/c.
The results are compared with previously published results at sqrt(s)=7 TeV and
with theoretical calculations.

In this paper the PreAmplifier ShAper (PASA) for the Time Projection Chamber
(TPC) of the ALICE experiment at LHC is presented. The ALICE TPC PASA is an
ASIC that integrates 16 identical channels, each consisting of Charge Sensitive
Amplifiers (CSA) followed by a Pole-Zero network, self-adaptive bias network,
two second-order bridged-T filters, two non-inverting level shifters and a
start-up circuit. The circuit is optimized for a detector capacitance of 18-25
pF. For an input capacitance of 25 pF, the PASA features a conversion gain of
12.74 mV/fC, a peaking time of 160 ns, a FWHM of 190 ns, a power consumption of
11.65 mW/ch and an equivalent noise charge of 244e + 17e/pF. The circuit
recovers smoothly to the baseline in about 600 ns. An integral non-linearity of
0.19% with an output swing of about 2.1 V is also achieved. The total area of
the chip is 18 mm$^2$ and is implemented in AMS's C35B3C1 0.35 micron CMOS
technology. Detailed characterization test were performed on about 48000 PASA
circuits before mounting them on the ALICE TPC front-end cards. After more than
two years of operation of the ALICE TPC with p-p and Pb-Pb collisions, the PASA
has demonstrated to fulfill all requirements.

One of the striking features of particle production at high beam energies is
the near equal abundance of matter and antimatter in the central rapidity
region. In this paper we study how this symmetry is reached as the beam energy
is increased. In particular, we quantify explicitly the energy dependence of
the approach to matter/antimatter symmetry in proton-proton and in heavy-ion
collisions. Expectations are presented also for the production of more complex
forms of antimatter like antihypernuclei.

Hadrons measured in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 0.9 and 7 TeV with
the ALICE detector have been identified using various techniques: the specific
energy loss and the time-of flight information for charged pions, kaons and
protons, the displaced vertex resulting from their weak decay for K0, Lambda
and Xi and the kink topology of decaying charged kaons. These various particle
identification tools give the best separation at different momentum ranges and
the results are combined to obtain spectra from pt = 100 MeV/c to 2.5 GeV/c.
This allows to extract total yields. In detail we discuss the K/pi ratio
together with previous measurements and we show a fit using a statistical
approach.

Comparing K+ spectra at low transverse momenta for different symmetric
collision systems at beam energies around 1 AGeV allows for a direct
determination of both the strength of the K+ nucleus potential as well as of
the K+N rescattering cross section in a hadronic environment. Other little
known or unknown quantities which enter the K+ dynamics, like the production
cross sections of K+ mesons or the hadronic equation of state, do not spoil
this signal as they cancel by using ratios of spectra. This procedure is based
on transport model calculations using the Isospin Quantum Molecular Dynamics
(IQMD) model which describes the available data quantitatively.

We argue that features of hadron production in relativistic nuclear
collisions, mainly at CERN-SPS energies, may be explained by the existence of
three forms of matter: Hadronic Matter, Quarkyonic Matter, and a Quark-Gluon
Plasma. We suggest that these meet at a triple point in the QCD phase diagram.
Some of the features explained, both qualitatively and semi-quantitatively,
include the curve for the decoupling of chemical equilibrium, along with the
non-monotonic behavior of strange particle multiplicity ratios at center of
mass energies near 10 GeV. If the transition(s) between the three phases are
merely crossover(s), the triple point is only approximate.

Prospects for strangeness production in pp collisions at the Large Hadron
Collider (LHC) are discussed within the statistical model. Firstly, the system
size and the energy dependence of the model parameters are extracted from
existing data and extrapolated to LHC energy. Particular attention is paid to
demonstrate that the chemical decoupling temperature is independent of the
system size. In the energy regime investigated so far, strangeness production
in pp interactions is strongly influenced by the canonical suppression effects.
At LHC energies, this influence might be reduced. Particle ratios with
particular sensitivity to canonical effects are indicated.
Secondly, the relation between the strangeness production and the
charged-particle multiplicity in pp interactions is investigated. In this
context the multiplicity dependence studied at Tevatron is of particular
interest. There, the trend in relative strangeness production known from
centrality dependent heavy-ion collisions is not seen in multiplicity selected
pp interactions. However, the conclusion from the Tevatron measurements is
based on rather limited data samples with low statistics and number of
observables. We argue, that there is an absolute need at LHC to measure
strangeness production in events with different multiplicities to possibly
disentangle relations and differences between particle production in pp and
heavy-ion collisions.

The design, construction, and commissioning of the ALICE Time-Projection
Chamber (TPC) is described. It is the main device for pattern recognition,
tracking, and identification of charged particles in the ALICE experiment at
the CERN LHC. The TPC is cylindrical in shape with a volume close to 90 m^3 and
is operated in a 0.5 T solenoidal magnetic field parallel to its axis.
In this paper we describe in detail the design considerations for this
detector for operation in the extreme multiplicity environment of central
Pb--Pb collisions at LHC energy. The implementation of the resulting
requirements into hardware (field cage, read-out chambers, electronics),
infrastructure (gas and cooling system, laser-calibration system), and software
led to many technical innovations which are described along with a presentation
of all the major components of the detector, as currently realized. We also
report on the performance achieved after completion of the first round of
stand-alone calibration runs and demonstrate results close to those specified
in the TPC Technical Design Report.

The sharp peak in the K+/pi+ ratio in relativistic heavy-ion collisions is
discussed in the framework of the Statistical Model. In this model a rapid
change is expected as the hadronic gas undergoes a transition from a
baryon-dominated to a meson-dominated gas. The maximum in the Lambda/\pi$ ratio
is well reproduced by the Statistical Model, but the change in the K+/pi+ ratio
is somewhat less pronounced than the one observed by the NA49 collaboration.
The calculated smooth increase of the K-/pi ratio and the shape of the Xi-/pi+
and Omega-/pi+ ratios exhibiting maxima at different incident energies is
consistent with the presently available experimental data. We conclude that the
measured particle ratios with $20-30%$ deviations agree with a hadronic
freeze-out scenario. These deviations seem to occur just in the transition from
baryon-dominated to meson-dominated freeze-out.

A thermal-model analysis of particle production of p-p collisions at sqrt(s)
= 17 GeV using the latest available data is presented. The sensitivity of model
parameters on data selections and model assumptions is studied. The system-size
dependence of thermal parameters and recent differences in the statistical
model analysis of p-p collisions at the super proton synchrotron (SPS) are
discussed. It is shown that the temperature and strangeness undersaturation
factor depend strongly on kaon yields which at present are still not well known
experimentally. It is conclude, that within the presently available data at the
SPS it is rather unlikely that the temperature in p-p collisions exceeds
significantly that expected in central collisions of heavy ions at the same
energy.

The statistical model assuming chemical equilibriumand local strangeness
conservation describes most of the observed features of strange particle
production from SIS up to RHIC. Deviations are found as the maximum in the
measured K+/pi+ ratio is much sharper than in the model calculations. At the
incident energy of the maximum, the statistical model shows that freeze out
changes regime from one being dominated by baryons at the lower energies toward
one being dominated by mesons. It will be shown how deviations from the usual
freeze-out curve influence the various particle ratios. Furthermore, other
observables exhibit also changes just in this energy regime.

The production of K+ and K- mesons below and at the NN threshold is
summarized, based on a comparison of data with transport model calculations. K+
mesons are created in associate production together with hyperons (e.g. Lambda)
in multi-step processes involving Delta resonances. These processes occur
mainly during the high-density phase of the collision and this makes the K+ an
ideal tool to extract the stiffness of the nuclear equation of state, found to
be rather soft with a compressibility modulus K below 240 MeV. In contrast, the
major part of K- mesons are produced via strangeness exchange. Most of the
created K- are absorbed and the surviving ones are emitted quite late and at
low densities.

Particle production in p+p and central Pb+Pb collisions at LHC is discussed
in the context of the statistical thermal model. For heavy-ion collisions,
predictions of various particle ratios are presented. The sensitivity of
several ratios on the temperature and the baryon chemical potential is studied
in detail, and some of them, which are particularly appropriate to determine
the chemical freeze-out point experimentally, are indicated. Considering
elementary interactions on the other hand, we focus on strangeness production
and its possible suppression. Extrapolating the thermal parameters to LHC
energy, we present predictions of the statistical model for particle yields in
p+p collisions. We quantify the strangeness suppression by the correlation
volume parameter and discuss its influence on particle production. We propose
observables that can provide deeper insight into the mechanism of strangeness
production and suppression at LHC.

We analyze recent data on particle production yields obtained in p-p
collisions at SPS and RHIC energies within the statistical model. We apply the
model formulated in the canonical ensemble and focus on strange particle
production. We introduce different methods to account for strangeness
suppression effects and discuss their phenomenological verification. We show
that at RHIC the midrapidity data on strange and multistrange particle
multiplicity can be successfully described by the canonical statistical model
with and without an extra suppression effects. On the other hand, SPS data
integrated over the full phase-space require an additional strangeness
suppression factor that is beyond the conventional canonical model. This factor
is quantified by the strangeness saturation parameter or strangeness
correlation volume. Extrapolating all relevant thermal parameters from SPS and
RHIC to LHC energy we present predictions of the statistical model for particle
yields in p-p collisions at sqrt(s) = 14TeV. We discuss the role and the
influence of a strangeness correlation volume on particle production in p-p
collisions at LHC.

Critical temperature Tc for the nuclear liquid-gas phase transition is
stimated both from the multifragmentation and fission data. In the first
case,the critical temperature is obtained by analysis of the IMF yields in
p(8.1 GeV)+Au collisions within the statistical model of multifragmentation
(SMM). In the second case, the experimental fission probability for excited
188Os is compared with the calculated one with Tc as a free parameter. It is
concluded for both cases that the critical temperature is higher than 16 MeV.

This writeup is a compilation of the predictions for the forthcoming Heavy
Ion Program at the Large Hadron Collider, as presented at the CERN Theory
Institute 'Heavy Ion Collisions at the LHC - Last Call for Predictions', held
from May 14th to June 10th 2007.

The system-size dependence of particle production in heavy-ion collisions at
the top SPS energy is analyzed in terms of the statistical model. A systematic
comparison is made of two suppression mechanisms that quantify strange particle
yields in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions: the canonical model with
strangeness correlation radius determined from the data and the model
formulated in the canonical ensemble using chemical off-equilibrium strangeness
suppression factor. The system-size dependence of the correlation radius and
the thermal parameters are obtained for p-p, C-C, Si-Si and Pb-Pb collisions at
sqrt(s_NN) = 17.3 AGeV. It is shown that on the basis of a consistent set of
data there is no clear difference between the two suppression patterns. In the
present study the strangeness correlation radius was found to exhibit a rather
weak dependence on the system size.

In astrophysics as well as in hadron physics progress has recently been made
on the determination of the hadronic equation of state (EOS) of compressed
matter. The results are contradictory, however. Simulations of heavy ion
reactions are now sufficiently robust to predict the stiffness of the (EOS)
from (i) the energy dependence of the ratio of $K^+$ from Au+Au and C+C
collisions and (ii) the centrality dependence of the $K^+$ multiplicities. The
data are best described with a compressibility coefficient at normal nuclear
matter density $\kappa$ around 200 MeV, a value which is usually called
``soft'' The recent observation of a neutron star with a mass of twice the
solar mass is only compatible with theoretical predictions if the EOS is stiff.
We review the present situation.

The recently discovered sharp peak in the excitation function of the K+/pi+
ratio around 30 A GeV in relativistic heavy-ion collisions is discussed in the
framework of the Statistical Model. In this model, the freeze-out of an ideal
hadron gas changes from a situation where baryons dominate to one with mainly
mesons. This transition occurs at a temperature T = 140 MeV and baryon chemical
potential mu(B) = 410 MeV corresponding to an energy of sqrt(s) = 8.2 GeV. The
calculated maximum in the K+/pi+ ratio is, however, much less pronounced than
the one observed by the NA49 Collaboration. The smooth increase of the K-/pi-
ratio with incident energy and the shape of the excitation functions of the
Lambda/pi+, Xi-/pi+ and Omega/pi ratios all exhibiting maxima at different
incident energies, is consistent with the presently available experimental
data. The measured K+/pi+ ratio exceeds the calculated one just at the incident
energy when the freeze-out condition is changing.
We speculate that at this point freeze-out might occur in a modified way. We
discuss a scenario of an early freeze-out which indeed increases K+/pi+ ratio
while most other particle ratios remain essentially unchanged. Such an early
freeze-out is supported by results from HBT studies.

This paper summarizes the yields and the emission patterns of K+ and of K-
mesons measured in inclusive C+C, Ni+Ni and Au+Au collisions at incident
energies from 0.6 AGeV to 2.0 AGeV using the Kaon Spectrometer KaoS at GSI. For
Ni+Ni collisions at 1.5 and at 1.93 AGeV as well as for Au+Au at 1.5 AGeV
detailed results of the multiplicities, of the inverse slope parameters of the
energy distributions and of the anisotropies in the angular emission patterns
as a function of the collision centrality are presented. When comparing
transport-model calculations to the measured K+ production yields an agreement
is only obtained for a soft nuclear equation of state (compression modulus KN ~
200 MeV). The production of K- mesons at energies around 1 to 2 AGeV is
dominated by the strangeness-exchange reaction K- N <-> pi Y (Y = Lambda,
Sigma) which leads to a coupling between the K- and the K+ yields. However,
both particle species show distinct differences in their emission patterns
suggesting different freeze-out conditions for K+ and for K- mesons.

The systematics of Statistical Model parameters extracted from heavy-ion
collisions at lower energies are exploited to extrapolate in the LHC regime.
Predictions of various particle ratios are presented and particle production in
central Pb-Pb collisions at LHC is discussed in the context of the Statistical
Model. The sensitivity of several ratios on the temperature and the baryon
chemical potential is studied in detail, and some of them, which are
particularly appropriate to determine the chemical freeze-out point
experimentally, are indicated. The impact of feed-down contributions from
resonances, especially to light hadrons, is illustrated.

The status of the energy dependence of the chemical freeze-out temperature
and chemical potential obtained in heavy ion collisions is presented. Recent
proposals for chemical freeze-out conditions are compared.